Crazy
by Heachan
Summary: Brotherhood/Manga-Ed and Al go missing and then Edward shows up in Central and somethings' wrong. Read the first chapter you'll get hooked, promise.
1. Chapter 1

Crazy

Disclaimer-just my plot and maybe one or two lame bad guys, haha.

Central was normally quiet this time of day. Most of it's civilians were home by now as the sun began to set, leaving the city in a peaceful golden hue. The rich color welcomed the evening when the residents could sleep under the ever watching eye of the military. However this night there was an unsettling through out the city. Military police hurried to and fro, following their orders to find what had been stolen.

They were chasing him. He didn't know how long he'd been running, but he was definitely starting to loose steam. Just as he paused to catch his breath, the fatigue attacked his legs. Breathing this heavy caused his ribs to ache and his lungs to burn. He knew if they caught him it would all be over. Either his career or any chance he had to keep what little sanity he still had. This was all for his brother, right? The thought made his heart ache along with the rest of his body. Glancing up at the premature darkening sky, he released a tired moan as he rubbed his left leg. The weather was about to make this situation even worse.

He couldn't let them catch him, though. He could hear the sound of their boots hitting the pavement nearby. Finding his resolve, he pushed himself forward. As he moved around the corner, something small and wet hit him in the face. His body responded with a twinge from his right shoulder. He cussed under his breath, trying not to pay it any mind. Before long he was stopping to catch his breath again. Reaching down, he buttoned his black coat, concealing the folder he was carrying. The object that was causing him so much stress and what they were pursuing him for. Letting out a huff, he readjusted his collar, making sure his hair was securely concealed under it. Just as he turned to make his next move, something flew past his face. The slick object became embedded in the nearby wall, causing his gaze to shift behind him. A second flew at him, this one hitting him right above his left shoulder blade. Hissing at the pain, he squinted down the alley, knowing full well who was chasing him.

_'Dammit, Lt. Colonel. He's gonna feel horrible when he realizes who he's aiming for.'_ Of course he just preferred not to get caught. He hurried away, reaching behind to remove the short blade from his flesh. It had gone in pretty deep but with a grunt he managed to pull it out. He could feel blood seeping into his clothes and gradually dripping down his back.

"Roy, he's heading south!"

'Thanks a lot, Hughes.' He should have known how skilled the Lt. Colonel was when he was investigating a case. All joking aside, no laid back attitude, pictures of his family in their rightful place, tucked away in his wallet. Now it was just business.

Hurrying down another side street, he didn't hear Hughes behind him. Several more raindrops hit his face as thunder sounded in the distance. If it was going to downpour, he wished it would hurry up and start. At least then he might be able to evade them easier. As though the sky heard his thoughts, it started to pour, soaking the city. An ironic smile managed to work it's way across his face. The military would not be as determined to chase after him when it was this miserable out. Just when he thought the coast was clear, there was movement ahead of him, blocking his path. Stopping short, he froze as an all too familiar voice rang out.

"That's far enough," the Flame Alchemist announced, slipping his gloves on.

'Great, he waited to put them on, meaning they're not wet from the rain.' He had been counting on that advantage. There was the sound of a hammer clicking behind him, letting him know the Flames second in command was there as well. If he retaliated with alchemy now, it would give him away for certain. Inhaling sharply, his body reminded him that he was not in top condition for hand to hand combat. Besides he knew these two didn't mess with that kind of thing anyway. They ended conflicts quickly. There was nowhere to run to now, the Fullmetal Alchemist was trapped.


	2. Chapter 2

Crazy

Chapter two-Elrics: MIA

(One month earlier)

It had been two weeks. Two very quiet weeks without a single door being slammed or the occasional rant about one's height. And what was even worse then the silence was the lack of reports coming in. Nothing about collateral damage, or even a random phone call about his subordinates typical antics. Although Central was just a train ride away from Eastern Command, surely by now Colonel Mustang would have heard something about the Elric brothers. They could never stay out of trouble for too long. Even if they were under the watchful eye of Maes Hughes.

He let out a sigh as he tapped the end of his pen on the corner of his desk. With no damage reports coming in, he really didn't have much to do in the office. Leaning on his hand, he realized it was mid afternoon and he was having a difficult time keeping his eyes open. Maybe they detoured to their hometown, although that had not been part of their plan. And even if Edward was not the most considerate person, surely Alphonse would have called to tell him their plans had changed. Of course maybe they had spoken to Maes instead since he was the one who they were going to see.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't even bothered to check up with his friend in those fourteen days. Maybe the boys were driving him so mad, he didn't have time to call and talk for hours about his wonderful daughter and loving wife. With all this lack of interruption, Roy had managed to actually finish his work in peace to the point of boredom. Deciding this was more free time then he ever needed, he reached for the phone.

oOoOo

The train was late this particular evening. The large suit of armor stared down the tracks as though if he looked elsewhere, he might miss something. Not even the annoyed grunt behind him could pull his attention away. Meanwhile his shorter blond companion shifted on the uncomfortable bench he had claimed for a temporary bed.

"This is stupid," he growled under his breath, "How a train manages to be this far behind schedule, it's ridiculous." Alphonse let out a vocal sigh as if to say he agreed. They were suppose to be on this particular train thirty minutes ago. There had been no announcements about it running behind schedule or anything. And after Edward's most recent lecture from his commanding officer, he was not in the mood for anything else to go wrong. Al had already heard about his meeting earlier in short spouts of anger and decided it was best not to comment. Ed was known after all to take a simple assignment and cause an even bigger problem. "I could walk faster at this rate!"

Alphonse absentmindedly scratched his helmet as though trying to think of a solution. Unfortunately there was nothing he could do to make the train get there any faster and as for his brother's attitude, it was just better to let him vent his frustrations. Finally there was a soft rumbling in the distance that caught the suit of armor's attention. Expecting to hear a whistle, he leaned forward to see the train moving towards them. Edward stood up, stretching his arms above his head as Al picked up their suitcase.

"See Brother, they were just running a little behind." Alphonse's tone was light as he tried to be optimistic.

"Took em' long enough." The train squealed to a stop in front of the station but the doors didn't open. Ed stomped over and knocked his metal hand against the first door. "What, are we sleeping on the job today?" Any ounce of patience he had to start with was long gone by this point. Al walked over, knowing there was nothing he could do to calm his older brother down.

"Maybe something's wrong," Al suggested. Just as Ed turned to say something back, the door opened and a rather large man stood before them. He acknowledged Alphonse then lowered his gaze to Edward. The man remained in their way as he continued to size them both up. Not that they weren't used to getting the occasional stare but this was not the day for it. Ed grit his teeth and pointed his gloved finger in the guys face.

"You gonna get out of our way?" The man smiled slightly at the short blond. Alphonse noticed another large man come from one of the other entrances, walking in their direction. The man in front of them turned back into the train.

"Yeah Boss, It's definitely them!"

oOoOo

"Yo Roy, haven't heard from you in while." It never seem to matter what kind of mood he was in, Mae's chipper tone always grated on his nerves.

"Well some of us are working, but that's not why I called. I was wondering what's been happening with the boys." Hughes leaned back in his chair, placing his feet up.

"What the Elrics, they never showed up here. I just assumed they stayed there."

"Are you serious?" By now Roy was on his feet, leaning over the phone. "They left for Central two weeks ago."

"Yeah, but the train never arrived. I thought it just got canceled or they detoured elsewhere."

"So you didn't bother to call me?"

"Yah know, you didn't bother calling me either. Besides, they can take care of themselves. Maybe they just needed some time off."

"But it's been two weeks, don't you think they would have told someone by now?"

"I don't know, how angry did you make Ed this time?"

"No more then normal." Roy's tone finally settled some even if he still knew something wasn't right. "I'm gonna make a couple more calls but it might be best if I head to Central."

"Any excuse to come see me, huh?" Maes still managed to make light of the situation.

"You're not funny. I'll see you tonight." With that, the Colonel got off the phone.


	3. Chapter 3

Crazy

A/N-So some random person reviewed to say Ed from the manga and Ed from the show switched. Is he really so different in the one show then the manga? Just curious cause I don't see much of a difference. Oh and Alchemist of Steel you're adorable! Love your reviews.

Chapter three-Negotiations

Ed found himself on the floor, tied up and sore. He could hear and feel the railroad tracks below, knowing that meant they were still on the train. Rolling onto his back he glanced around but couldn't see anything in the dark storage car.

"So the question is where are we headed?" The blond let out a sigh as he tried to move his arms behind his back. This was definitely not a normal brainless gang as they had made sure he couldn't use his alchemy. "Hey Al, can you move?" He glanced around again as though he could see any better now. There was no answer. "Alphonse? Hey!" Nothing but the sound of the tracks beneath. The sudden realization caused a knot to form in his stomach. He couldn't tell if he was more angry or concerned by his brother's absence. Regardless of what he was feeling, one thing was certain. Whoever was responsible for this was going to pay.

oOoOo

(One month later)

More and more rain poured down on the city, gradually soaking into the Colonel's clothes and more importantly his gloves. If the culprit they were chasing didn't surrender soon, he'd be utterly useless. Of course there was no way that the criminal they were chasing would know that.

Carefully, Edward put his hands up, trying to buy himself some time. Lt. Hawkeye brought her gun down some, releasing the breath she was holding. Hughes came up next to her. Just as Mustang brought his hand down to his side, Ed made his move. Running right at the Colonel, Riza and Maes couldn't fire at him and even though Roy managed a snap, his soggy ignition cloth couldn't respond. Sliding on his metal leg, Ed slipped past him with ease. Once he was out of the alley, he stood and moved down the main street. Roy's eyebrow twitched as he stood there, now mostly drenched.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Hawkeye was already moving past him as Hughes walked over to his friend.

"Uh Roy, maybe you should just call it a night." He placed a hand on his shoulder. The Colonel's dark gaze shifted, making it clear he wasn't finished yet.

"Come on," He growled, turning to follow his Lieutenant. Mae's shook his head and called after him.

"Yah know some of us have families we want to get home to tonight!" His plea fell on deaf ears as Roy grit his teeth. This whole situation was making him pissed. How this spy or theif or whatever you wanted to call him managed to sneak into the military so easily he couldn't figure out. It was as though he had someone on the inside. He always managed to know when he was out of the office and where certain files were kept. It made him wonder what they was really up against.

"We'll catch you...and you better hope it's raining when we do," he muttered to himself.

oOoOo

There was the sound of a squeaky door opening and Edward could hear two sets of footsteps coming in his direction. A pair of large hands grabbed him around the waist and started moving back the way they came. Ed didn't bother to struggle, hoping they would either tell him where his brother was or bring him to where they were keeping him. They moved through the train quickly, finally coming to one of the front cars. Just as the large man carrying him over his shoulders was about to place him down, his partner cleared his throat.

"Here's the squirt, boss."

"Squirt!" He started to kick violently even if it didn't stop the other man from placing him in a chair. "I'll show you who's a squirt!" The man who'd carried him kept his large hands on his shoulders, holding him in place. "Grr, and where the hell's my brother!" So much for keeping it together. The 'Boss' raised his hand and his large helper straightened up, releasing his grip on Ed.

"Please allow me to apologize for my man's roughness, Mr. Elric. You're reputation warrants caution." Edward eyed the man across from him carefully.

"That accent wouldn't make you from Drachma, would it?" The man smiled in amusement.

"Why yes, and they also say you're pretty smart too. My name is Vladimir and I have a proposition for you."

oOoOo

"Well this is just great, Maes. Now we have no idea where they are." Roy was rubbing the side of his head, feeling a headache coming on. They were on their way to Armstrong's division to see if he could lend them some help. He might know of where they would go as he had traveled with them recently.

"So either they're in serious trouble or they're fine and you're going to kill them." The Flame Alchemist nodded back.

"I'm gonna have that smart mouth LITTLE annoyance chained to a desk doing all my paper work. And as for his brother,...I'm sure I can think of something."

"Where do you want to start?" Roy ran a frustrated hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh.

"This is soo stupid. I've got better things to do with my time. If Alphonse can't keep Ed out of trouble, what hope do the rest of us have?" They turned the corner and finally made it to one of the main offices. Pushing the door open, they both paused, noticing the obvious Strong Arm Alchemist but he wasn't who they were gaping at. He was talking to Ed who was holding several books and folders for him.

A/N- Reviews! Come one that's two chapters in one day! It warrents reviews.


	4. Chapter 4

Crazy

A/N- so apparently my time line is confusing so allow me to give a basic explanation for myself. First-Ed and Al get captured on the train. Then-Ed shows up in Central alone. Finally-Ed is chased by military. Sorry this was so confusing, wasn't trying to be.

Chapter Four-Hostage

"What kind of proposition are we talking about?" Ed's curiosity peeked, wondering why anyone from Drachma would want his help.

"Being a State Alchemist, I'm sure you have all sorts of clearance in the military." Edward arched an eyebrow but his mouth pulled into a tight thin line as he was starting to understand why Al and he had been taken. As much as he wanted to stop the man from continuing, he let him finish his thought. "We've been trying to reach a trade agreement with your General up at the border of the two countries, however she doesn't seem to want to cooperate."

"So you decided to kidnap one of their State Alchemists and what, hold me hostage?" Vladimir snickered back at him in amusement.

"Kidnap and hostage are such ugly words. We're just talking." Now it was Ed's turn to be amused.

"Is that why I'm tied up?" The older man looked at him more quizzically.

"As I mentioned before, your reputation precedes you. All we're interested in is information, that you have access to." Edward dropped his gaze, letting out a laugh.

"If that's all you want, I'm gonna have to say no. The last thing I need is for my country to think is that I'm a spy for Drachma." He brought his determined gaze up. The foreigner sneered back at him, maliciously.

"I'm sure we can convince you. How long before you agree to help is up to you." With that, he waved his hand in dismissal and Ed felt a large pair of hands grab him up again. As much as he wanted to demand where they had put his brother but he knew if he made too much of a fuss about it, they might use Alphonse as leverage. So biting his tongue, he quietly let them take him away.

oOoOo

Roy was the first to move forward, in a moment of pure rage fueled by relief. His fist made contact with Edward's cheek. It was enough to cause him to drop everything in his hands but not enough to knock him off his feet. Hughes and Armstrong stared in shock as the Colonel shook his hand from the sting in his knuckles. Angry amber eyes glared at him as Ed held his aching cheek.

"What the hell was that for!"

"Where have you been for two weeks? We were about to start a search party for you!" The Colonel was seething at this point. "Try to be more responsible, Fullmetal. You can't just run off like some spoiled little child." Edward was silent, dropping his gaze so that his blond hair covered his face. Hughes continued to stare in shock as Ed didn't come back with a sharp response. "Well, where were you?" Roy's tone came out as an order and Ed had to stop to think.

"We went to Dublith to see our teacher. She hasn't been doing very well." His voice came out in a small noise. The Colonel arched a critical eyebrow as he stared down at his subordinate.  
Something seemed off. For starters, Ed's face seemed slimmer then normal and his eyes carried a worried look to them.

"So where's Alphonse?" Edward gulped hard but still managed to answer.

"He decided to stay there. It's not like we meant anything by it." Roy sucked in a deep breath.

"Maybe I overreacted a little bit. Even so, it wouldn't have killed you to call and let us know."

"Okay,okay." With that the Flame Alchemist walked off, most likely to find some ice for his knuckles. Edward let out a sigh of relief, still rubbing his face.

"Edward Elric." Ed heard his name and turned around just as two huge arms picked him off the floor in a suffocating embrace. "You're so caring to go out of your way for your sick teacher." Ed tried to pull away, gasping for air.

"Major!" Hughes stuffed his hands in his pockets, deciding he'd go back to bothering Roy, now that they knew Ed and Al were okay. "Hughes...aren't you gonna help?" Edward was desperate at this point.

"Well I would but I've just got so much work." With that he left the room, leaving Ed to fend for himself.

oOoOo

Somehow, he managed to make it back to his dorm. Of course he didn't remember coming here on purpose, it was just where his legs had brought him. It was still raining pretty hard outside which had helped in his escape from the Colonel and the others. He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up though. Unlocking his door he couldn't help but notice how empty the room seemed without Al there. It made his heart ache.

_'If they do anything to him, I don't know what I'm gonna do,'_ Edward thought, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. He pushed the idea to the back of his mind before his emotions got the best of him. Removing his gloves and black jacket, he headed into the bathroom to grab a towel to dry his hair. Next he kicked his boots off, feeling completely worn out. His one arm was covered in cuts and healing bruises. Lifting his shirt he cringed at the bloodied gauze he'd wrapped around his torsoe. Turning around, he saw the damage Hughes had done to his one shoulder. Just another injury he would have to hide for the time. If the Colonel or anyone else noticed how beaten up he was, they would want to know why.

As he left the bathroom, he noticed his automail leg felt a little off as well. Letting out a tired sigh, he moved his metal ankle back and forth. _'Guess sliding on gravel wasn't the best idea.'_ The one joint wasn't responding very well. Before he could access his damages any further, there was a knock at his door. Not thinking straight, he trudged over and opened it without hesitation. Roy stared down out him, his expression firm enough to send a chill down Ed's spine.  
"What happened tonight?" His tone was low, on the edge of becoming threatening.


	5. Chapter 5

Crazy

Chapter five-Leverage

Convincing Edward Elric to sneak into the military for information was more of a challenge then his captors thought. The kid didn't cave very easily, even after the first several times he was beaten. They started to wonder if he enjoyed the abuse. He didn't seem to care even when they were certain they'd broken a couple of his ribs.

No longer on the train, they had moved him to an equally dark prison. From what he could tell it was a warehouse or some kind of storage place. It had to have been a couple of days by now. Food had been scarce and he still had not seen Alphonse. Maybe he'd gotten away. That would make this whole situation so much easier. If Ed just had to worry about himself he could handle this.

He hadn't seen the boss since that first meeting. It made him wondered if there would even be any more negotiations. Just when he thought they were going to leave him alone, the dim light came on overheard. Squinting up through his disheveled hair, he waited to see who it was this time. Usually the largest member of the group was the one beating him. His size in comparison to Ed, made him wonder how much the behemoth of a man was holding back. He probably could break Ed in half with little to no effort at all. A bucket of water was dumped on his face, causing him to cough and almost choke.

"I was awake, yah know." Despite his position on the floor, Edward still managed to glare up at his abuser.

"Boss wants to talk to you." It was obvious he was just there for muscle and not his brains as he yanked the blond up roughly.

oOoOo

After finally getting the Major to release him, the Fullmetal Alchemist found his way to the bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror. Carefully he pressed a wet cloth against his face. He looked ragged and could only hope no one had noticed. The way Mustang stared him down earlier had him worried that he'd figured out something was up.

He gasped in several breaths, trying to get past the pain in his ribs from being crushed earlier. Why Armstrong always had to be so affectionate at times was beyond him. He had worked so hard since he arrived in Central to avoid contact with anyone. Usually that worked but not with the Major. And apparently not with Roy when he was mad enough to throw a punch. That had never happened before. Had he really been so concerned?

Then again they had been missing for quite awhile. That time had flown by for some reason. Catching his reflection again, he winced from the ache of everything. Other then his physical pain, his mind was starting to feel fragile too. Just the idea of stealing information, he thought about all the ways that could go wrong for him. Sure he understood why the Drachma spies didn't want to do it. He didn't even want to go up against any of the staff here.

He felt he could snap at any point if he didn't stay focused on what he needed to do. They wanted personnel files for some reason. It sounded like it had nothing to do with working out a trade agreement. To be honest, he didn't really care either way, he was loyal to his only family first and foremost. Readjusting his jacket and straightening up as much as possible, he headed back out.

oOoOo

Mustang's gaze remained solid and dark as though it could pierce right through his subordinate. Edward shifted some, pulling his real arm behind him so that he couldn't see any of the small injuries.

"Well, where were you? Didn't you hear the sirens?" Ed went to speak only for no words to come out. Roy let out an annoyed growl and brushed some of the rain from his hair. "What is going on with you, Fullmetal? We've got a thief stealing information from us and you're just hanging out in the dark?" Edward found his voice and leaned forward in a defensive stance.

"It's raining out. I wasn't feeling well. Maybe cause someone hit me in the face the other day."

"Still hung up over that, huh?" Roy crossed his arms and tilted his head some. "If I didn't think you could handle it, I would have gone easier I suppose." Ed let out an angry huff, realizing he didn't have the energy for this.

"Can we do this tomorrow. I'm really not feeling well." Several seconds passed before the Colonel answered him.

"Fine, but do us all a favor and call Alphonse. When he's not around, you loose your head." Edward's next breath came out hesitantly.

"Y...yeah." With that, Mustang walked off and Ed closed the door before collapsing on the floor. The grief he'd tried so hard to push past finally caught up to him as he let out several gasps. He was so in over his head he didn't even know what to do at this point. Al's safety was at stake and if he wasn't careful he'd get caught which would do his little brother no good. The person he needed to talk to right now the most wasn't even here to help.

Bringing his hands up to his face, he just allowed himself this moment of weakness. There was this pit forming in his stomach, this empty feeling. He'd felt it before when he realized as an eleven year old that their transmutation had failed and he was there alone. Just like he was now. "Al, what should I do?"

oOoOo


	6. Chapter 6

Crazy

Chapter six-Suspicions

It was truly annoying, being small enough to be moved so easily. Although he would never admit it out loud, however when some huge thug can just pick you up with no effort on his part and swing you onto his shoulder with ease, it does nothing for your ego.

Ed was contemplating this as he was once more placed down into a chair in front of Vladimir. The thin man with dark eyes and hair regarded his captive.

"Mr. Elric, you're not looking too well." Edward was leaning forward with his head tilted down, just relieved he wasn't in a position that was uncomfortable.

"This whole thing is pointless, I'm not going to help you." Vlad let out a huff, almost in frustration but there was something else bothering him.

"To be honest I don't understand why you've been lying about your identity." The blond before him shot his head up, unsure with what the statement meant. "You're not the Fullmetal Alchemist. I don't know how we could have gotten the two of you mixed up."

Normally someone confusing Alphonse for him would make his blood boil however this time, he wondered if he could use it to his advantage. Of course it could also put Al in even more trouble if it backfired.

"What are you talking about?"

"Like you could ever really work for the State." Before he could respond Ed heard the familiar sound of metal clinking towards him as it stepped closer.

"It's okay Brother, they know that I'm the State Alchemist." Ed turned and relief swept over him to see Al was okay. Even though there wasn't much they could do to him, he worried about them finding out he was empty or even finding the blood seal. Unfortunately the armor didn't permit Al to have facial expressions either so Edward didn't understand why he would want to take his place.

"I'm sorry my brother thought I'd have a problem helping you. Sometimes he forgets he doesn't work for the State. It shouldn't be too difficult to get you the information you need."

oOoOo

The next day, Ed carefully put his red jacket on, cringing from the pain that resulted from the action. He hurried to Mustang's office as quickly as possible. Riza gave him a faint smile as he walked in.

"Good morning Edward. The Colonel mentioned you weren't feeling well last night." Ed was sure he told her out of concern, however he smiled back.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. Thanks."

"You missed all the action last night. We almost caught that thief."

"The Colonel didn't fill me in much about it. How'd he get away." Before she could answer, Roy was at the door.

"Fullmetal." He motioned with his head towards the office. Ed moved behind him in step and closed the door. As they both took a seat on either side of the desk, the Flame Alchemist handed his subordinate a paper from the stack in front of him. "This is all the information I've been able to gather on our little perpetrator." Edward grit his teeth at the 'little' term used. Glancing over the page, Ed noticed the description was vague at best which caused him to breath a sigh of relief.

"What kind of information has he managed to get?" Roy laced his fingers together and leaned forward on his elbows.

"Hughes was the first to noticed several files missing from his office. Mostly cases involving traitors of the State. Those are probably the most important since those files not only have the crimes committed but which personnel was involved. While those criminals are in jail at this time, it's not public information for a reason. And then personnel files disappeared last night. I'm still trying to figure out what the connection is."

"They're going to attack our prisons." Ed's voice came out in a low tone as he suddenly realized why he was told to get this information to the Drachma spy. "If they can break these criminals out and convince them to go after those involved in their arrests..." He placed his arms forward on the chair and leaned into them. Roy wasn't expecting Ed to draw that kind of conclusion so quickly and was now staring at him curiously.

"Damn Ed, I didn't think you'd crack it that fast. Why haven't you been helping us?" Edward's amber gaze came up to meet the Colonel's dark one. There was something behind the look but it was too difficult to read. It was almost as though Ed had something to say but didn't. Although this was somewhat normal between them, however it felt different this time.

"Anyway, that just seems like the obvious answer to me. Don't really see a reason to want that kind of information otherwise." Now it was clear that he was trying to cover up his cleverness. Edward would normally boast at solving a problem the Colonel couldn't.

"Right, so now we just have to figure out who would benefit from it. Any thoughts on that?" Ed shifted his weight uncomfortably and his mouth pulled to the side.

"Well if I had to guess, wouldn't anyone trying to uproot the government benefit from that?"

"True, but how are they getting in here past security? Unless their able to impersonate someone here." Mustang tilted his head some, arching his eyebrow at Ed. He shifted again in his seat.

"What?"

"It's nothing I'm sure, just that...well the guy that outsmarted us last night was about your height and..." Edward cut him off by standing from his seat abruptly, clenching his fists at his sides.

"And what? Huh?"

"Just that he could probably pull you off better then someone like me."

"Aw, shut it!" His temper flared up. "Anything else?"

"Yes, I want you back here tonight. Just in case he comes back, I don't want him getting away again."

"Fine." With that he slouched his shoulders and headed for the door.


	7. Chapter 7

Crazy

Chapter seven-Outsmarted

"Al, what are you doing?" Alphonse's crimson gaze moved to his brother's confused expression.

"You're always trying to take charge just cause you're older, but I'm the one they need to be talking to. I'm the State Alchemist, okay?" He acted exasperated, hoping Ed would catch on. Al had come up with this idea during his time locked up. If he convinced them he was the Fullmetal Alchemist and agreed to do what they wanted, then they would have no reason to keep both of them there. They would let Ed go and he could lead the military right to them.

Edward was never good at being anything but himself, so Al knew he had to come up with something before things got out of hand. And from the looks of his older brother, they had already been pretty tough on him. Thankfully, Ed didn't say anything else, knowing Al had a plan.

"You still shouldn't help them. Just cause you get into trouble so often with your superiors, doesn't mean you should become a traitor," Ed mumbled as he let out a huff, joining in on Al's scheme.

"You don't know half the things I do, and trust me they have it coming. The way they leave themselves so vulnerable. Serves them right." Al was actually kind of good at this. Ed was surprised. Letting out another huff of air, he sat up, tilting his head to the side and closing his eyes in defeat.

"Fine, do what you want. It's your head on the chopping block." From what they could tell the spies were buying this act before Vladimir interrupted them.

"I don't know what you're playing here, but I hope you don't think you're fooling anyone." He turned to Alphonse, glaring up at the intimidating looking armor. "Do you honestly think I believe you have the guts to take information from your own military?"

"Oh so now you don't think I have what it takes? Then why did you bother capturing us?" Alphonse pretended to be angry at the implication. Vladimir sat back some, eyes going from Al back to Ed, trying to determine what they were up to. Their little argument minutes beforehand didn't seem so convincing.

"Fine, go get us the information and then we'll let your brother go," Vlad finally told Alphonse.

"Why not just let him go now since he really has nothing to do with this?" To that suggestion, the older man let out a laugh.

"And what advantage would that give us. You'd probably never come back or just bring the whole military down on us." His gaze fell on Ed again, who was glaring back at him now.

"No, I think we'll just keep both of you here for awhile longer till we come to a conclusion we all like." Once again, he waved his hand and his thug grabbed Ed up and turned to leave. As he walked back to the door, Ed glanced back at his younger brother, a look of frustration written all over his face.

oOoOo

Shuffling slowly, the Fullmetal Alchemist made it back to the office. He was running into a problem now, if he wanted to steal anymore information, he was going to have to get away from Mustang and the others at some point. He had to figure out how to get their attention elsewhere. As he entered the office, the first thing he noticed was Hughes making a pot of coffee. The older man peered over his glasses at the teen and grinned widely.

"Yo, Ed. So you're able to join us tonight, eh?" Edward let out a growl and made a face.

"So what are you happy about? Doesn't this mean you have to be away from your family or something like that?" He walked over, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, that's one thing that stinks about these all nighters but what can you do?" Hughes straightened up, folding his arms in front of him.

"All nighter? You mean we're hanging out here all...night?" Ed really wasn't looking forward to it but what really caused him agony was when the Lt. Colonel responded by slapping him on his sore shoulder.

"Now come on, Ed. You're younger then the rest of us. An all nighter should be a piece of cake for you." Edward was trying desperately not to show his pain as he just smiled wryly in response. Hearing voices heading in their direction, he turned just in time to see Armstrong and Mustang enter with Hawkeye right behind them.

_'Oh great, now I don't just have to outsmart the Colonel, but Armstrong too. If it comes down to a fight again, I'll definitely loose.' _Just the thought of getting pounded by the Major caused his head to hurt.

oOoOo

Days passed. It had to have been more then a week but there was no way of telling. Each day the beatings became worse and worse. Ed worried more about what they were doing to Al though. One punch and they would come to find that he was hollow and would want to know why. He sucked in a deep breath that caused his whole chest to hurt.

Why hadn't the military realized they were missing yet? Hadn't enough time gone by? He wasn't really sure how much more of this he could handle. There was the now too familiar sound of the door squeaking on it's hinges. He didn't bother to roll over this time, bringing his tired gaze up just enough to acknowledge the large man who always visited him.

They had stopped feeding him all together. His stomach had quit begging for food long ago. He felt tired, more so then someone of his age should. Once again cold water was dumped on his head again but this time he opened his mouth in an attempt to swallow as much as possible. It felt relieving on his sore throat.

"Boss wants to see you. Got something he wanted to show you." With that, he was yanked up again and let out a groan in response. This time he was brought somewhere else. It seemed like just another warehouse like the one he had been in. Vladimir smirked as his man came in with Ed under his arm, his legs dragging behind.

"You're a lot tougher then I thought," he mused, leaning down to get a better look at his captive. Ed turned his head some, refusing to look at him still. This man had no idea how stubborn he could be. "So apparently you're brother isn't as easy to beat up as you are."

The statement brought a wave of panic to the blond and he winced some as he brought his head up. His vision swam at the sight before him. Alphonse was on the ground in front of him. As Edward got a better look, he realized the legs to the armor were missing.

"Brother?" Al's crimson eyes stared back at him as though the deep red glow could cut right through him. Ed felt his heart twist in his chest. He couldn't find his voice and he had to fight to keep from trying to escape.

"I don't know the first thing about Alchemy, however the alchemists I've spoken with in this country this past week just can't figure this one out. Perhaps you could explain it to me, Mr. Elric."

Ed let out a slow breath, trying to think straight. He had to get them out of this situation but was having a hard time coming up with a solution.


	8. Chapter 8

Crazy

Chapter Eight-Caught

Minutes crept by like hours and nothing happened. The staff had managed to go through three pots of coffee already and it was now coming around early morning. Roy had laid his head on his desk, trying to keep his eyes open while Riza found something to read to preoccupy her time. Ed found himself at the window, staring out at the street. Armstrong was doing rounds though the building. A loud snore from across the room caused all three of them to glance over, annoyed. Hughes managed to find a comfortable position on one of the couches and was sleeping soundly.

"Unbelievable. Why do I have the feeling this guys' not coming tonight. We're just wasting our time," The Colonel muttered loud enough for the other two to hear him.

"So what do you want to do then," Edward was still unsure if he wanted to try anything with all of them here or just wait for a better time.

"We're not giving up. I don't care if we have to switch off every eight hours or something. I'm not gonna let him get any more information. Not if it's gonna put my people in danger," Mustang stated this pointing one finger to the ceiling but his tone was obviously strained with sleep deprivation. As much as Ed was determined to get the rest of the files, he had to admit he admired the Colonel for his devotion to his people. But at the same time, he was also devoted. He was running out of time here and if he didn't act tonight, he would have to do something tomorrow during the day when this building was swarming with military personnel.

"What if he already has all the information he needs and he's not coming back? Then what," Ed brought up, trying to get them to call it an early night.

"No, he's coming back. We have unfinished business." Roy's chin was resting on the desk now and his dark eyes had lost some of their spark from before. Letting out a huff, Edward pushed off the wall and walked towards the door. "Where are you going, Fullmetal?" The Colonel's eyes lazily followed the movement.

"Gotta use the bathroom. Too much coffee." With that he left the room and glanced down the hallway. The Major was nowhere in sight and he hurried in the opposite direction of the restrooms. At the end of the hall and around the corner, he found the fuse box to the floor. "This'll have to do." Clapping his hands together he fried the box, causing the entire floor to go dark.

oOoOo

The tall foreigner moved over to the suit of armor and knelt down next to it. Alphonse was unable to move his arms from where he was as they were also tied behind his back. Vladimir unclasped the front chest plate, revealing Al's hollow body.

"There's this sign back here, I believe it's alchemy. I wanted you to tell me what it meant." As he spoke he brought his hand inside and was looking around for the blood seal they had found earlier.

"No, stop!" Ed couldn't take it anymore. His voice came out almost as though he was in pain. He dropped his head more, causing his bangs to cover his face. "Please leave him alone...I'll...I'll do whatever you want." He closed his eyes, trying to keep what little bit of sanity he still had. Vlad couldn't help smile.

"That's what I thought." Getting back up to his feet, the man brushed the front of his pants off and walked over and nodded at his man. Edward was dropped completely to the ground and curled in on himself. He wanted all of this to end and this seemed to be the only way. The two men walked away and Ed found himself not caring.

"Brother, what are you doing. You can't actually do what they want you to."

"Al, I have to." He brought his chin lower and kept his eyes shut. There was just no other way he could get the two of them out. Alphonse didn't bother arguing back.

oOoOo

Sure enough Ed could hear Roy immediately hollering orders to the other two people he'd left in the room. Heading back, he opened to door to find everyone awake and prepared for anything. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"What happened? The whole place is dark," he asked as he entered the room.

"Be on your guard, Fullmetal. This is it," the Colonel told him.

"How do you think he's gonna try to get in, Roy," Maes asked as he pushed his glasses up some on his nose.

"Well the only way in is through the front door. Hopefully the Major is still on this floor."

"I'll go see if I can find him, Sir," Hawkeye moved past Ed to the door. He got out of her way and shuffled over to the where the Colonel stood.

"So can't one of you transmute something that could give us some light," the only person who wasn't an alchemist in the room asked.

"It's not that easy," Ed muttered and Hughes was unable to see the look he was getting from both of them. The room was quiet as the three of them didn't move.

"I should go check on the Lieutenant. She's been gone for a while now," The Lt. Colonel suggested.  
"Go ahead. He's gonna have a hard time getting past the two of us anyway." Edward shivered at the thought that he wasn't really helping them. Once he heard the door close again, he made his move for the desk. Passing the window, he glanced outside.

"Colonel, I think I see him outside." Roy moved quickly, coming up next to his subordinate.

"What? Where?" He searched the street but was having a hard time seeing much in the dim light down below. Ed got to the desk and tried to open the bottom drawer. It didn't budge. The Colonel wasn't stupid and made sure the information was locked up. Taking his metal index finger, he jammed it in the locking mechanism, breaking it. Within seconds he had the files and stuffed them under his shirt, behind his back.

"They've been gone for awhile, haven't they?" The Colonel glanced back in the room and noticed Ed was near the desk but never remembered him moving over there. As he pulled away from the window, he could see the one bottom drawer was open. Glancing around the room quickly, he didn't see anyone else but Ed.

"Edward, what are you doing?" His tone seeped anger as he moved towards Ed.

"What do you mean? They should have been back by now, right?" It was hard to keep from shaking at this point.

"That's not what I'm talking about. Why are you helping them?" In a moment of panic, Ed bolted for the door only to hear a snap behind him. The blaze missed him luckily as the Colonel couldn't see well enough to aim. Rushing from the room, he knew Mustang would be right behind him and help was just an earshot away.

oOoOo

He had fallen asleep, probably from sheer exhaustion. When he woke up, Al was there watching over him still. For a split second he had forgotten where they were and what was going on. But his memory kicked in sooner then he wanted and he remembered. Somehow Alphonse had moved closer to where he was left on the floor.

"How long was I out?" His voice sounded rough and he tried to clear it.

"A while. They haven't been back since yesterday. Brother, we've been here for almost two weeks already."

"Hasn't anyone noticed we never reached Central? Aren't they worried?" He sounded angry and desperate before taking a deep breath. "Al, I know you don't want me to do this, but we're out of options. I can't let them hurt you, okay."

"I know, just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt either." Edward glanced back up, trying to smile but his expression was overtaken by worry. Al knew what he was going to be up against and it wasn't going to be easy.


	9. Chapter 9

Crazy

A/N-Gotta give some shout outs for reviews from Brz, Kame-tan, and Punker88. I know more people reviewed, these ones really just made my night. Thanks so much for a encouragement and I am so glad you like the flashback/current event style. This is the third story I did this way and really enjoy writing like this. So here's this chapter and I promise the next one is coming soon.

Chapter nine-Alchemist vs. Alchemist

Somehow Edward managed to get out of the building. Heading for the side emergency exit, he had dodged the Lieutenant and Lt. Colonel. Of course where to now, he wasn't all that sure as Mustang was bound to show up at his dorm eventually.

This was not how he wanted things to turn out. By the time he made it to the street, he knew they were already after him. At least this time it wasn't raining. He could hear footsteps closing in and he had to move quickly. Not that he thought the Colonel would do anything like try to kill him, but it didn't mean he wanted to see what would happen, either. The painful realization that Alphonse wasn't there to protect him caused him to run faster.

Heading down a nearby alley, he had to stop for a second to catch his breath. No one had seen which way he went so he could afford to stop for a second. That was when he heard the sizzle of alchemy behind him. As he turned, he noticed Armstrong had come up from one of the side streets. He also notice the spikes of cement heading at him. Grabbing a trash can lid, he blocked as best he could however when two of them hit the lid, the force pushed him back hard against the wall.

"You do realize you don't stand a chance against us this time," the Major told him as though he didn't realize it was Ed he was up against. Tossing the lid in his direction, he ran for the main street again. He had contemplated going up to the rooftops instead of making himself such an obvious target. There was a shot from behind that confirmed that was a better idea.

"Freeze or the next ones' gonna hurt." He heard Riza behind him. Not pausing for a second, he clapped his hands and placed his palms to the ground. The cement sparked and was pushed skyward under his feet, launching him towards a nearby building. Just as he thought he was free, there was the sound of a snap behind him. The pillar he was standing on, exploded under him, sending him back to the ground.

Edward would have to think fast or he would most likely land hard and right now he couldn't afford to get any more injured. Unfortunately with nothing to transmute around him, he would just have to hope he could land well. That was where automail came in handy. As he landed on his left foot as best he could, he straightened up to see Mustang standing about thirty feet away. The Lieutenant right behind him with a rifle and Armstrong quick to join him.

"I don't think you want this to continue any further," Roy still had his fingers poised to snap.

"There's too much at stake for me to quit here!" It was the typical snide remark he expected from Ed. He was sure, after all that he had his reasons for what he did. Hopefully the city wouldn't have to endure too much damage before he found out what those reasons were. Ed clapped his hands again, this time transmuting a cannon. Before he could do anymore, there was that infamous snap that exploded the transmuted material before it could be of any use.

"Come on Fullmetal, tell me that's not the best you've got?"

"Wait? Fullmetal?" Armstrong glanced at Mustang and then back at their suspect. "So this whole time it's been Edward?" Despite his determination, Ed knew anything he tried to throw at them, the Colonel was more then able to destroy it within seconds.

"Edward, just give up. This is pointless." Riza's tone was genuine and he knew deep down she didn't want to hurt him.

"It's not pointless to me." He wasn't sure if they heard him or not but didn't care. He went to clap again.

"Major," Roy didn't have to say anything more as he received a simple nod in return. Armstrong reluctantly brought his fist down into the ground. Spikes shot in Ed's direction again and he managed to bring up a wall just in the nick of time. And there was that annoying snap again. The wall blew apart and the controlled explosion of flame and oxygen was enough to send him to the ground. Mustang walked over to him as Ed laid on his back, coughing weakly. Without another second to spare, Roy knelt down and grabbed Edward by the front of his shirt.

"Now what the hell do you think you're doing!" Ed couldn't think of what else to do. He had been caught with no way to escape. There really was only so many options for a traitor like him. Again he let out another cough. "I asked you a question, Fullmetal. Are you going to answer me or not?"

Roy pushed Edward down harshly, receiving a painful yelp from the teen. "Please, we didn't hurt you that b..." The Colonel paused when he notice Ed's breath was coming out in shallow little pants. He yanked his black tank top up just enough to see bruised skin beneath. He must have been hiding it since he'd been back in Central as they couldn't have caused that kind of damage so quickly. Edward let out a weak groan, not sure what Mustang would do now. By this point, Riza was standing over the Colonel's shoulder and couldn't hold back anymore. Placing a hand on his arm, she got him to turn back to her.

"Sir, let's take this inside. " Roy's attention went from her to Ed again, who was cringing more then necessary for the force he'd used. The blond reached for his left shoulder and seemed to be hurting from each attempted breath. Tears were clinging to the edges of his vision as he knew he had been beaten but that wasn't what made him upset.

"I wasn't that hard on you." He leaned down again to help his subordinate up only for him to scream back as getting up was going to take more effort then he could stand right now. Mustang got to his feet and placed his hands on his sides when he received a disapproving look from Hawkeye. "Oh sure, now you're going to take his side. He's the one who started all this."

"Perhaps we should find out what's really going on." The Colonel let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. He knew she was right, he wasn't going to get any answers from Ed here in the middle of the street.

"Fine. Major, can you come help?" He pointed back at Edward with his thumb as he moved back towards Central command. Armstrong hurried over after feeling guilty about trying to hurt a fellow State Alchemist. Carefully, he picked him up despite the complaints he received. Edward was beyond arguing with them

As the Colonel walked back to the building, hands stuffed in his pockets and his Lieutenant right behind him, he glanced up to see Hughes standing there.

"So did we win?"

"No thanks to you," he grumbled back as he passed him.

"Hey it's not my fault you don't let me know what's going on." Maes hurried to catch up as his friend was clearly lost in thought.

oOoOo

After attempting to clean and bandage Ed's injuries, they all realize there was more then they could handle and it was agreed to take him to the hospital. Of course Edward was not in agreement with this idea, however his vote was not taken into consideration. Once he was settled for the night and the nurse refused any interrogations to take place for the time being, Armstrong offered to stay on watch till the next day. Ed wouldn't try anything right now. Retrieving the stolen documents, Roy decided to call it a night and get a couple hours of sleep. This had become so much more complicated then he had expected and looked forward to the next day, when everything would hopefully be explained.

A/N-I hope I gave everyone the action scene they were wanting. Please let me know and if I have to make it longer or change something, I can always tweak it.


	10. Chapter 10

Crazy

Chapter ten-Questions

It had been bad enough that Roy hadn't gone to bed till early morning, but then not being able to sleep made everything worse. Starting with his mood. In the back of his mind he contemplated the idea of just beating the answers out of Ed, however he also knew Hawkeye would not let him do that. Besides that, he could never really do that when the kid was already so beaten up as it was. At some point he needed to talk to Ed but he wasn't sure if he would even cooperate at this point. A yawn forced its way out of his mouth reminding him he hadn't slept well. Pushing the office door open, he was cheerfully greeted by Hughes.

"Morning, Roy. How'd you sleep?" Mustang glared at his friend and let out a growl.

"I didn't." He slowly made it over to the desk and collapsed in his chair. "Just couldn't shut my mind off." Hughes leaned forward in his seat, readjusting his glasses, a stern look on his face now.

"Of all the people that I would suspect for something like this, Ed was at the bottom of the list. I mean sure he gets mouthy every so often but not enough to go against us. Any ideas yet as to why he did it?" Roy sighed loudly, rubbing his temple as though it would help him come up with the answer.

"I was thinking about it all night but I don't see him as a traitor. There has to be more to it then that."

"Well have you gotten to talk to him yet?"

"To be honest, I don't know if he'll even talk to _me_. The fact that he ran, has me wondering what's really going on." He glanced over wearily. "You wouldn't want to talk to him? I bet he'd tell you more then me."

"Yeah well, as true as that is, remember the other night when we were chasing him in the rain, I think I hit him with one of my knives. It just grazed him I think but even so."

"He'd still probably talk to you over me."

"Have you spoken with Alphonse at all about this. You might get an honest answer from him."

"I don't even know if he's in on what's been happening but it's worth a shot."

"Started any of the paper work on this yet"

"No. I don't want Ed taking the blame for all of this. I'm sure there's someone manipulating him. Not to make it sound like the kid is easily duped or anything. Judging by his injuries it took quite a bit of persuasion."

"How bad is he?" It was typical for Maes to worry about Ed's health, just his fatherly concern coming out.

"Pretty bad from what I saw. I know he can take quite a bit of damage but considering how much time went by since any of us last saw him, who knows how long he's been walking around, hurt like that."

"Leave it to Ed to not take care of himself when Al's not here. This could be much bigger then we think it is. Hope you're up to the challenge."

"Someone beats one of my men and convinces him to betray me, you can bet I'm up to the challenge."

oOoOo

"Aw come on, are you serious?" Edward pulled at both wrists that were now securely cuffed to the railings on either side of his bed. His hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and his left arm was practically covered with white bandages. "This is ridiculous." He slouched his shoulders, looking indignant.

"Would you have preferred it if they had taken your automail? We wanted to make sure you wouldn't escape." Riza was looking over some paper work as she sat next to the bed.

"Well if you really think I'd try to escape then maybe I should." She turned to him as she brought her hand around to retrieve her gun. He started to sweat at the thought of making her angry.

"You've really gotten yourself in a lot of trouble here Edward, I don't think it's the time to be cracking jokes." He seemed to sink his head lower as though her words were a weight above him.

"Lieutenant?" He spoke softly, not looking in her direction. She glanced over, waiting quietly for him to continue. "I really wasn't trying to hurt anyone...it's just...I didn't have a choice. Honest." She dropped her gaze and nodded back.

"I know this wasn't easy for you to do. And that there's something else going on here." She noticed he flinched some when she mentioned that. "Do yourself a favor and just tell him this time what's really going on." Ed sighed back in response before the door open and no more words would be spoken between them. The Lieutenant stood from her spot and saluted as the Colonel walked over.

"The doctor said you've got five broken ribs. How long have you been walking around like that?" Ed didn't bring his head up but just sank further into the realization he'd been caught and wouldn't be able to help Alphonse. "You do realize the questions are going to get harder from this point?"

Still nothing.

The door opened again and Hughes walked in, still in the middle of another conversation. Once he was finish talking with the one nurse, he moved further into the room.

"Boy, the nurses here are a little to nice. Talk about barking up the wrong tree." He glanced down at his wedding ring proudly.

"Hughes, can we focus?" Mustang was all business now and was not in the mood for anything else.

"Yeah, yeah. Here yah go." He handed Roy a small stack of papers. Edward glanced over through the loose strands of blond hair that blocked most of his vision.

"According to this report, Hughes and his men weren't able to find the missing documents you stole from us in your dorm. Wanna explain that?" Finally an actual emotion swept over the teen's face as a flash of anger entered his amber eyes.

"You searched my room?"

"What choice did we have, Ed? You were caught stealing from us. Oh and I called the Curtis residence." Edward dropped his gaze again, not allowing them to see the pain that had replaced the anger in his expression. "Alphonse isn't there. So you lied about that too. This is beyond serious. Both lying to a superior officer or stealing documents is enough to put you away."

Still nothing.

Roy watched as Ed just slouched more and his hands gripped at the blanket. Mustang inhaled loudly through his nose. After the silence lingered for awhile longer, he turned to the Lt. Colonel. "Maes, is this the only copy of the report?" He kept his voice low as if he thought someone could be listening in.

"Yeah, and the men that accompanied me to Fullmetal's room weren't told any specifics of the case." After another odd moment of silence, there was an unexpected snap that caught Ed's full attention. The report in the Colonel's hand lit up in flames for a few seconds before shriveling into a black pile of ash in a nearby trash can. Finally taking a seat, Roy made eye contact with Edward.

"Ed, just tell me what's going on. Let me help." His tone was soft and even sounded sympathetic. Everything Ed had been holding onto, all the worry and concern that had been piling up all week, all the guilt and sadness finally overwhelmed him. The mismatched shoulders began shaking and he turned his face away so that they couldn't see his perfect mask begin to break. But as quiet a whisper his voice came out, all three of them could hear his statement as if he were screaming it.

"They have Al."


	11. Chapter 11

Crazy

Chapter eleven-Answers

The room became deathly silent. It hung in the air heavily but no one said anything, waiting for Ed to tell them more. Finally after so long, the dark haired alchemist cleared his throat.

"Who took Al?" His low voice sounded booming in the quiet. Edward tried to pull it together enough to continue speaking. He wasn't sure why he was telling them any of this, least of all Mustang. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, quite the contrary as he already knew more about him and his brother then anyone else.

"He said they were from Drachma." He stifled a breath, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him.

"Okay, so where are they?"

"I don't know." Roy arched an eyebrow at the immediate response as it came too quickly.

"What about Al? Is he okay?" Ed shook his head, blond hair falling even more in his face, his voice just above a whisper.

"I don't know." He pulled his knees up and rested his forehead on them, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. The Colonel leaned back in his seat, wondering how they were going to be able to help if Edward couldn't even tell them anymore.

"So why you? What made them think you'd go against me?"

"I didn't bother finding _that_ out. Besides they weren't exactly up for any questions from me."

"How are you suppose to get the documents to them then?" Finally Edward turned to his superior officer. It was clear he was beyond frustrated by all the questions. His nerves and emotions were both on edge this entire week and his rationality was becoming brittle.

"I have a contact number but that's it." Edward's tone came out agitated. "They never told us where we were, all I know is it was in some place that had more then one warehouse. That could be anywhere! And I still have no guarantee they'll even give Al back." His late statement caused his eyes to start to water and he wiped his face on his shoulder. Roy placed his hands in the air as Ed's frantic explanation made it clear he had been through enough stress and the interrogation was not helping any.

"Okay, okay. I get it. You don't have to worry, we'll do what we can." With that said, the tension in Ed's shoulders seemed to ease some. The Colonel turned to Riza. "I need you to go to the train station and find out what ever happened with that train that went missing. See if they managed to find it."

"Yes, sir." With that, she moved with urgency out of the room. Hughes let out a yawn and scratched the back of his head.

"So what are we gonna do?" Mustang stood up as well, also yawning.

"We're going to see if we can find anywhere between Central and Eastern Headquarters that could be used as their base. It would have to be close to the tracks, I don't see them wanting anyone noticing them. Also we need to get a hold of Briggs and see if they can tell us if they've been having any trouble on their end." With that said, the two of them were about to leave when there was a whine from the bed.

"Hey, so you're just going to leave me here? This isn't fair besides I can help." Ed yanked helplessly at his restraints.

"The kid does have a point, Roy," Maes mentioned as well. The Colonel placed his gloved hand to his face, one knuckle pressed against his mouth as though he were mulling it over in his mind.

"Nah, besides if he's here, I'll know he's not somewhere else causing who knows what kind of damage." With that he turned on his heel.

"Colonel! You bastard, get back here and uncuff me!" Knowing from past experience not to get in the middle of these two when they were fighting, the Lt. Colonel hurried out after his friend. Ed continued seething as he kept yanking at both wrists. Eventually he slouched again and leaned back against his pillow. It was no use, his left shoulder burned from his effort.

And as if to mock him even more, when he tried to bring his hands together there was only about an inch or so between them. He couldn't even use alchemy. Lazily he continued to slouch as he tried to come up with a plan to get out. Staring down at his feet, a grin managed to spread widely across his face, as an idea finally came to mind. It was risky but had to work.

oOoOo

"First things' first, Maes. We need to find these people and get Alphonse back," Mustang explained as they got into the elevator. "I just don't understand why Ed thought he could handle this by himself. I wish he'd figure out that some problems are bigger then even he can solve."

Hughes nodded although he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. He kept his head down while rubbing his chin. Roy finally noticed he wasn't really listening to him. "What are you thinking about?" The Flame Alchemist's voice cut through the other man's thoughts.

"Oh well I was just thinking that we still need those document's Ed managed to get his hands on." The doors opened and they headed out into the lobby of the hospital.

"We can always ask him for them later."

"Don't you think he would have just told us while we were still up there?" The question bounced around in Roy's head and he came to a shocking conclusion. Stopping in his tracks he turned back the way they came. Hughes paused as well, turning back to his friend. "Now what?"

"You're right, he didn't bother to tell us where the files are. And now that I think about it, we left him alone up there."

"So you think he'll try to escape?" Roy didn't have to answer as he turned and headed back to the elevator.

"Wait here, I'll be right back." Hughes shrugged back and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Like I wanted to rush back up there again now anyway." About twenty minutes went by before there was an explosion that shook the whole building. Nurses and doctors hurried around the lobby, trying to figure out what happened. Finally the Lt. Colonel heard one of them mention the third floor where Ed was staying. Letting out a sigh, he turned and headed for the staircase.

As he made it back to the floor, he notice smoke coming out from under the door to Ed's room. Now hurrying over, the door opened and Roy stumbled out holding his head. "Roy? Where's Ed?" The Colonel found a chair nearby and collapsed as he tried to think.

"He's gone."


	12. Chapter 12

Crazy

Chapter twelve-Escape

Riza held an ice pack to the lump that had formed on the back of Roy's head. As sympathetic as she wanted to seem, she still managed to look professional. The Colonel could feel the headache despite the coldness of the ice. His eyebrow was twitching and he was trying not to get exasperated as it would only cause his head to hurt more.

"Man, I never thought Ed would ever go to this extreme." Hughes leaned forward on his hands.

"Well have we found anything else out about these spies from Drachma," the Colonel brought up.

"I found out that the train station is still trying to hunt down the train that was stolen. They found the crew though. Apparently they had been left somewhere along the tracks," Riza explained to him. There was a knock on the door and Armstrong walked in. The Colonel glanced over, squinting from the pain.

"Ed hasn't returned to his dorm. We have the MP's there now but I don't think he'd actually show up at this point." The taller man remained standing as he gave his report.

"So what do you want us to do now," Riza asked Roy.

"We're going to track him down, that's what."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea? I mean look at what happened the last time we caught him," Hughes mentioned, his brow furrowed with concern. His friend glared in his direction.

"I was trying to cut that _little_ punk some slack and this is how he's gonna repay us? I want him found so I can wring his scrawny neck, understand."

"Shouldn't we be looking for the information? If he doesn't have those documents then he'd have to come to us." Hughes didn't like chasing after Ed like he was a criminal. Now that they knew the why for his actions, he just felt they could afford to go easy on him.

"No!" Roy's voice boomed and he found himself rubbing his temple, trying to alleviate some of the pain. "I'm not cutting him anymore slack. Any time I do him a favor I get some smart mouthed response about him being in my debt. Like I have some ulterior motive." Maes smirked some at the statement, knowing that while it was not always the case, most of the time it was. "So if he wants to do this without my help then that's fine but I won't stand by and let him do whatever he feels is right." After he finished his long winded explanation, he leaned his head back and sucked in a deep breath. All of this was wearing him out. His Lieutenant moved into his view, her dark eyes revealing her concern.

"Sir, why don't you head home for now. We can take care of things here and if any news comes up we'll let you know." He let out a low growl but nodded in response.

"I suppose I should actually take the rest of the day off. Haven't had that in awhile. As long as you all agree you're gonna track Fullmetal down." Armstrong crossed his arms and closed his eyes as though he was thinking over the situation again.

"There really isn't anything else we can do. As a soldier we can't allow Edward to do whatever he wants." The other two in the room nodded reluctantly in agreeance.

oOoOo

Mustang hunched his shoulders and leaned against the window of the car. The nameless soldier driving him home didn't say much as they headed in the direction of his apartment. His head was begging for rest or at least unconsciousness so it didn't ache so bad. As long as he couldn't feel it, that's all that mattered.

They were coming up on the dorm where the Elric's resided whenever they were in town. He hadn't actually been there for the investigation and he wondered how thorough Hughes' men had been. Not that he ever questioned his friend and his dedication to his job, even when he was talking for hours about his family.

"Could we stop here for a minute," he asked the driver. Once the vehicle came to a complete halt, he rolled down his window and stared up at the building. There were MP's at the entrance, most likely for when and if Ed showed up. Roy got out of the car and walked towards the front doors with a determined look on his face.

oOoOo

Alphonse released a vocal sigh as his boredom had reached it's peak. It was bad enough not being able to sleep, although his soul was feeling something that he could only call fatigue now. Or perhaps it was worry but not for his own well being. Ed had been gone for days and he was worried he'd gotten caught or maybe there had been a problem getting whatever they wanted.

He hadn't seen anyone for quite a while so it was surprising when Vladimir visited him this particular day. The older man stood before him as though he was contemplating what to talk about. Alphonse didn't wait for his captor to start the conversation as his cold crimson stare met the man's eyes.

"You know this plan isn't going to work. There's no way the military isn't going to figure out what you're up to."

"Are you saying your brother isn't going to be able to do what I want him to?"

"I don't doubt him for a minute but you can't just manipulate us and get away with it." The dark man leaned forward, a broad malicious look on his face.

"Then perhaps I need to make sure I have some assurance, mmm?" With that, he straightened up and walked over to a nearby table. Despite the fact that Al couldn't go anywhere do to a lack of his armored legs and his arms suspended on either side of him, he still tried to break loose. Vladimir pulled on some heavy gloves and turned his back so Al couldn't see what he was doing. There was the sudden pop that sounded like air was being released from a tight container. Vlad revealed a blow torch in his one hand and grinned like a mad man.

"Now let's see how much that alchemy sign of yours can take."

oOoOo

The restaurant was dimly lit so much that it was hard to see anyone around you let alone any of the waitresses. In the far back was a bar where the bartender was busy cleaning glasses. There were few patrons at this time of night as dinner had already passed and the weekend was still a couple days away. With only a handful of customers there, the bartender couldn't help but eye the only person sitting at the end of the high counter top.

"Yah know, haven't had many people your age wanting to sit up at the bar. Ain't you a little young," he brought up, placing the clean glass down. The individual glanced in his direction for only a moment before finishing his drink. He pulled at the collar of his dark coat, bringing it higher around his face.

"Can I get another juice?" The bartender grabbed for the empty glass and got him another.

"Don't kids usually drink milk?" That question received him another glare.

"No _thank you_," the customer remarked through gritted teeth, reaching for his drink. A sudden slap of papers landing on the counter caused him to practically jump from his stool. Turning around, his amber gaze moved up to the person standing next to him. Although normally dressed in a blue uniform, the dark haired alchemist now wore civilian clothes. The stack of papers laying to his side were the documents that had been stolen that week. The same irritated gaze became shocked as he eyed the two files.

"Guess you really didn't expect me to find these, huh Fullmetal?"


	13. Chapter 13

Crazy

Chapter thirteen-Stubborn

"Man this situation keeps getting worse and worse," Hughes had his back up against Hawkeye's desk as she looked over the report she had just finished. "I hope Ed realized how much more difficult he's made all this by running off. I don't even want to think about what Roy'll do when he does catch him."

"Let's face it, Edward does seem to know how to push all the wrong buttons when it comes to the Colonel. I don't know anyone else who manages to get under his skin the way Ed does. Well you too, of course." Riza glanced over, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. Maes turned back to her, amused at her comment as well.

"Yeah, you know someone has to keep him from being too serious. If he's wound too tight all the time, he's going to snap. Like when he deals with Ed." Riza shook her head even if she agreed.

"I wish Edward would learn that he shouldn't try to handle everything on his own. We'd help him more if he'd let us."

"But you know as well as I do that the kids' not like that. He's just too stubborn. What's amusing is that they are kind of alike and don't even realize it." Maes let out a snicker at his own comment. Riza shook her head again.

"I just don't want the Colonel to stay angry at him for too long. We should have known Ed wasn't just going to sit back while we do all the work. He's just worried about Alphonse. I know the Colonel understands that but the way he snapped earlier said something completely different."

"Guess I'm not showing him enough pictures of my darling little girl. That always puts him in a _great_ mood." Riza eyed him, raising an eyebrow in question. Without hesitation he whiped out a picture from his pocket and held it up to her. "You can't tell me that doesn't make you want to smile. Look at how adorable she is." Hawkeye tilted her head so that she could look past the picture, her facial expression unchanged.

"You know that has no effect on me, right?" Hughes laughed awkwardly as he placed the picture back in his pocket.

oOoOo

Ed stared up at the Colonel for another second in shock before his mouth pulled into a smirk.

"Actually I'm surprised you managed to find me this fast." Roy stifled a yawn before glancing around the bar.

"Yeah well, I just looked for the _shortest_ person here." Edward rocked on his stool, his face becoming red from anger.

"_You what_!" The pitch in his voice caused Roy to stick a finger in his ear.

"So much for keeping things low key. You're honestly lucky that I agreed to this at all. Now it's my tail on the line too, you realize." Ed's temper simmered down and he slumped his shoulders.

"Doesn't mean you get to throw around the short jokes like that though. So, does anyone suspect anything?" Roy pulled another stool up and had a seat next to him.

"No, but that's cause I have all of them out there looking for you." Ed's jaw dropped but this time no sound came out.

"You were suppose to get them to focus more on the spies, not me."

"If you're with me, they won't catch up." Ed's gaze narrowed and his mouth went into a tight thin line.

"I hope the Drachma spies treat you with the same kindness they did me. Then you wouldn't be so cocky about all of this."

"You forget I have people I care about on the line too here. It's got nothing to do with being cocky." He signaled to the bartender and ordered a scotch. "So if you don't know the specific place they're keeping Al, how do you expect to find him?"

"I have a rough idea, plus whenever I make contact with them, they're suppose to give me the location."

"And you think they're actually going to tell you?"

"I know it's just a hunch but considering they hijacked an entire train and haven't returned it yet, they can move the operation anywhere they want."

"So then you just have to get Alphonse out of there and I'll take care of the rest." There was the loud clinking of a glass that caught their attention. In a nearby corner, although it was hard to see, a man stumbled to his feet. Speaking loudly some gibberish, he slowly made his way out the exit. Ed and Roy both released the breath they were holding and went back to their conversation.

"Anyway, what are you planning if you don't have your gloves?" Roy made a face at his subordinate for his lack of faith in him.

"Come on Fullmetal, give me some credit. I know how to do other alchemy. I'm not that limited." Ed couldn't help but grin once more.

"Then how come you're so _useless_." The Colonel's facial expression turned into a glare.

"Oh so you're allowed to make jokes but I'm not. How is that fair?" Ed just shrugged back. "By the way, did you want a _real_ drink?" The glare was returned.

"You know I'm a minor. Like I'd ever want any of that garbage anyway." He pointed at the glass in Roy's hand. He shook his head back in disbelief.

"If this plan manages to work it will be a miracle considering we can't go two minutes without insulting each other." Ed's glare softened and he nodded in agreement but despite the jokes, he was glad to have Mustang's help.

oOoOo

It was now closing time, forcing the two state alchemists to leave their meeting place and head out to the street.

"So where are you staying tonight anyway? It's not like you can just head back to the dorm," Roy glanced around to see if anyone was around to hear their conversation.

"I was thinking of just getting a hotel room for the night. Which reminds me..." Ed held out his hand, a toothy grin in place. Roy tilted his head to the side and let out a sigh.

"Really? You don't have any cash on you at all?" Ed's smile turned into a quick frown.

"And why would I carry cash around with me if I have a research account that I usually can get money from? If I really wanted to get caught I suppose I could..."

"Alright, alright, sheesh." Mustang pulled his wallet out and retrieved several bills. "I'm gonna have that account of yours audited or something cause I think you abuse it."

"Uh huh." Ed yanked the money from his hand.

"And no room service."

"What?" They started down the empty street while they argued.

"I mean it. That's just for one night anyway. I expect change back."

"You're so cheap. What if I get hungry?"

"Really? Between now and morning?" As they moved further away from the restaurant, their voices became distant. Neither one of them noticed the drunk from before hiding in between the buildings. Once they were out of sight, he smirked to himself as an unnatural light glowed at his feet. As his form changed from a large overweight older man to a slimmer younger form, he straightened up. Slitted violet eyes continued to stare in the direction the two alchemists went. The normally smiling face had a serious look to it, deep frown in place.

"Better let the other two know about this most recent development. Fathers' not gonna be happy about his sacrifices being messed with."


	14. Chapter 14

Crazy

Chapter fourteen-Plans and Dreams

Although he'd never tried it before, it was worth a shot. Edward was still cuffed to the hospital bed which made it impossible to do alchemy. Leaning back on his pillow, he brought his feet together and closed his eyes trying to think about the right erray in his mind. Since it was never done before, who knew if it would worked. Even if the circle wasn't perfect, eventually he could hear the alchemy spark to life. The side rails his wrists were bound to, warped and twisted till he was able to pull the cuffs away.

Grinning proudly at his accomplishment, he glanced down at his left arm where an IV line was. This was the part he was dreading as he reached for the line. It was difficult to be so careful as his metal fingers were kind of clumsy. After probably bruising himself even more, he managed to slide the needle out. Now that he was past the unpleasant part he hurried to get dressed. He released a hiss as he pulled his shirt on, noticing he was still sore. As he placed his foot in his one boot, the door burst open and Mustang stood there, slightly out of breath.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted," he said in a surprisingly calm tone.

oOoOo

It was a frustrating feeling. To have no control over what was going on and just when you thought you had it figured out, the rules changed or you woke up. If only he could will himself to wake up but it was never that easy. Everything was hazy and he wasn't sure where he was. He could hear his brother calling him but his voice sounded distant. There was static in his tone and he sounded scared.

"Al, where are you?" There was no way to determine which direction Alphonse's voice was coming from. This place was unsettling as he took several steps backwards before his back hit something solid and metal. Letting out a sigh of relief he turned around. "There you are Al, you scared me there for a sec..."

Edward froze as he stared up at the familiar suit of armor. It looked old and a rust had crept over most of the once silvery steel. The jaw piece was slanted, only hanging by one hinge and the eye holes that once held a crimson glow were now dark and empty. Ed felt his legs go weak. His amber eyes shrank back in fear and anger but mostly fear. "A...Al." His voice was hesitant and soft as though speaking too loudly would do more damage.

"Br..o..ther..." it came out in a crackling tone that caused Ed's heart to frantically pound against his ribcage as though it was trying to escape.

"D..don't worry," he swallowed hard, "I can fix this." He could feel tears invading the corners of his vision and he blinked them away. He didn't have time to get emotional as he brought his hands together. He was shaking so much despite his best efforts to focus. His fingertips brushed across the front of the armor. As the alchemy began to spark around him, the one knee of the armor shifted and bent forward. Right before his eyes, the metal vessel that held his brother's soul fell apart, falling towards him. As he tried to hold it up he realized there wasn't practically anything left as the helmet fell backwards making an unnerving clank as it hit the floor.

"A..Al...phonse?" It came out as a whisper but there was no answer. Tears found their way down his cheeks as he just stood there in shock. He couldn't breath, couldn't think straight. He went to move forward when his left leg buckled and he suddenly fell as though his automail wasn't there at all. Unable to stop himself, he brought his arms forward and his right arm shattered as it made contact with the ground. He couldn't move but at the same time he didn't want to. Didn't feel he deserved the right anymore. He'd failed his brother, he hadn't been able to keep his promise. As he laid on the ground he felt something nudging him, pulling him back to consciousness.

"Fullmetal...hey come on, wake up." He finally recognized Mustang's voice and squinted over at the other alchemist. He wiped at his watery eyes, tiredly. "You okay?" Roy had only glanced away from the road for a couple of seconds but could tell something was bothering him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What is it?"

"We're getting close. Are you up to driving?" Edward nodded silently back, locking any feelings away. He ran his hand over his face. The Colonel didn't ask anything else as he pulled over.

oOoOo

Edward moved forward, faster then Roy expected for someone as injured as he was. Instinctively, he brought his hand up but not before Ed clapped and grabbed at the ignition gloved hand poised to strike. Blue electricity snapped through the air and the glove cracked across the backside, destroying the erray.

"If you leave me cuffed to a bed long enough I'm bound to figure a couple of things out. Like how sucking the oxygen out of the air around your gloves makes you useless. Although he was shocked at how quickly Ed managed to disarm him, his expression remained the same. He yanked his hand away but continued to return Edward's glare. It was like staring at pure violent electricity. Far from the scene he'd witness earlier in the same room.

"Then I guess you don't want to hear my plan." Ed's expression faltered, not expecting that kind of response.

"What are you talking about?"

"I knew you couldn't just sit here and let us take care of this. And from the sound of things these people aren't going to negotiate with anyone except you. I've seen enough hostage situations go bad to know we have to go about this another way." Edward quirked an eyebrow as he straightened up and crossed his arms.

"Why are you helping me? I've just caused you all this trouble. And its not like you would put your own people in danger. So what's in it for you?" Mustang grinned as he brought his gaze down to inspect his now damaged glove.

"Maybe I'm just concerned for Al's safety. Did you ever think of that?"

"That's a load, what else." Ed wasn't going to buy that reasoning for a second as Roy looked back at him.

"Well, taking down Drachma spies wouldn't hurt my resume."

"Hmph, thought so." Ed glanced off to the side, thinking the situation over in his head again. "Then what's the plan?"


	15. Chapter 15

Crazy

Chapter fifteen-Empty

"Give them what they want? Are you sure," Ed gave Roy a dubious look when he suggested handing over the two files he'd already stolen.

"That's the only way to get Al back and besides they would still need the last document which we won't give them. Instead you're going to give them me."

"Sounds kinda crazy to me, but I guess it'll work. What do you plan to do once we get Al back though?"

"I can take care of myself. We'll need to tell them I'm a lower ranking officer otherwise they might try to use me as a hostage instead."

"Yeah, you'd make a lousy hostage."

"Anyway," Roy's tone became irritated, "once you get Al away, I could probably use your help taking them down." The blond flashed him a creepy smile.

"Oh trust me, they're not getting off that easy." Roy let out a sigh.

"Just don't do anything too damaging. Also, none of the others can know I'm helping you. The less they know right now the better."

"But how'll you get any credit, mmm?" Edward's dramatic tone was clearly in a mocking manner. Roy let out an annoyed sound before laughing softly to himself.

"Oh that, its simple. I'll tell everyone that I went to rescue the two of you, single-handedly." Edward made a face of unbelief.

"I'm sure everyone's gonna believe that. You're such a liar." The Colonel shrugged back.

"You want my help don't you? We need it to look like I tried to stop you from escaping though. Any ideas?" Ed grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"Oh I can think of something." Before Roy could inquire any further, a metal hand made contact with the back of his head. When he would think back on this situation he would remember how easy it was for Ed to hit him.

oOoOo

Hughes moved quickly down the hallway towards Mustang's office. As he passed Riza sitting at her desk, she spoke out.

"He's not here." Maes paused, quirking an eyebrow.

"Seriously? What is he sick or something?"

"Not that I'm aware of. You know what that means right?" Her gaze moved up, locking with Hughes'. They both knew he was most likely helping the Elrics and that he didn't want them involved.

"So now what are we suppose to do?"

"He told us to keep looking for Edward, so I guess that's what we'll do." Hughes stuffed his hands in his pockets and slumped his shoulders.

"Like we'll ever find him now."

oOoOo

The car came to an abrupt halt as though the driver wasn't quite used to how quickly the brakes responded.

"That was smooth," the complaint came from the back seat where the only passenger was tied up and on the floor.

"Would you shut up! It's not like I drive that often, okay," the driver barked back, turning off the engine and getting out. This wasn't the first time his lack of driving skills had been pointed out on this trip and he'd had enough. Opening the back door, he pulled the passenger up as roughly as one could when their hostage was taller then them.

"So do you think this'll work?" The dark haired captive's voice came out slightly above a whisper.

"You should be quiet, who knows if their listening." The Fullmetal Alchemist grabbed the end of the rope that was holding the Colonel _against his will_, and headed for the first warehouse in sight. The old metal door squealed as he opened it. "Hey Vlad!" He immediately heard some movement above his head and sure enough the Drachma spy appeared, standing on an upper balcony.

"Ah you've finally returned and even made it in the appropriate time frame." Edward narrowed his gaze as he continued to glare up at the man. Roy turned from Vlad to Edward as he realized that Ed had been so reckless because they had only given him a certain amount of time. But the question remained what were they planning to do with Alphonse. Vladimir noticed the Colonel, not in his uniform but civilian clothing and frowned. "I don't believe bringing anyone else was part of our deal, Fullmetal. You were suppose to come alone."

"I couldn't get the last document so I got you the next best thing. An officer who works in the informations office. He can tell you anything else you want to know and then some. There's no reason to keep my brother or me here, understand." His tone was firm as he pulled the other two files out from behind his back. Vlad shook his head in disapproval.

"That was not our agreement though, and now you want to change the contract? I don't think you understand what I wanted. Your brother is not going to be happy with this outcome either." Edward didn't like that Al was still being used as a bargaining chip.

"Where is he?" The blond was glaring up at the man, deep frown in place, hands in fists at his sides. He looked like he could become a threat at any moment. Glancing behind him, he noticed Vlad's bodyguard, as the larger man stood between them and the exit.

"Your brothers' right over there." Vladimir gestured towards the far corner on the lower level. Ed scanned the room as did Mustang. They both caught sight of the suit of armor leaning against several boxes. Without even thinking, Edward found his way over, ignoring Vlad completely. He had to know Alphonse was okay. Walking over, he tilted his head to the side, noticing the armor wasn't tied up and there was no red glow of his brother's soul emanating from the helmet's eyes.

"Al?" He went to touch the arm only for the entire thing to fall over with a resounding clang that echoed off the walls. Edward was speechless as he stared down at the hollow suit that seemed to be no more then an inanimate object.


	16. Chapter 16

Crazy

Chapter sixteen-Volatile

Edward's breath caught in his throat. He couldn't get his eyes off the solid mass lying before him. On the backside was a hole where the blood seal should have been. Alphonse was not there anymore. Roy watched carefully, wondering what Ed would do at this point. Everyone who knew the brothers in the military knew Alphonse meant everything to the older brother and without him, well Roy had already seen what lengths he'd go. But being here now, he wasn't sure what to expect.

"Now do you get it, Mr. Elric? I had a feeling you weren't going to be able to complete the task. We had to make a point." Edward forced himself to take in a deep breath. Somewhere in all of this, he willed himself to glare back up to the spy.

"Where...is...he." It came out in a low tone that was clearly meant to be threatening. The full rage that could be felt from his direction was enough to choke the man. Still he acted as though he would not feel threatened by someone like Edward. The man reached into his pocket to retrieve a piece of metal no bigger then his palm.

"I don't think it's a problem for you to fix him, at this point. He's still okay, just a little quieter now." The foreigner smirked, knowing he was still in control of the situation. The bodyguard below moved in Ed's direction, making sure he wasn't going to attack. Vlad called down to his man. "I don't think you have to worry about him doing anything stupid. Not when I'm holding this." He tossed the metal in his hand up and down. Something in Edward's head snapped. It was as if deep down he knew they would just keep using him, using Al until they had no more use for them.

"You don't think I'd try anything?" He brought his head down, gritting his teeth as the anger started to force it's way out.

"Oh no," Roy muttered to himself, "this can't be good." He knew well enough that Ed could only be pushed so much.

"After everything you've put us through, really?" Taking a step forward, the giant of a man moved in to stop him. Edward was too quick as he sprung up, landing his metal foot into the side of the man's head. Although it didn't knock him off his feet , it had left him dazed. Ed didn't take more then a second to clap his hands together and make himself a weapon. As his opponent came for him again, he rammed the back of the staff into his gut and then launched up once more, bringing his legs around the thick neck. As he brought the large man's weight along with his own forward, it was enough to slam him into the ground. When his opponent didn't get back up, he tossed the staff off to the side and made eye contact with Vlad.

"How dare you take down my man! Have you forgotten about your brother?" There was another clap in response and the ground around the blond shot him upward, towards the only enemy left to be defeated. Vladimir ran along the balcony, keeping distance between him and the alchemist coming after him. He tripped and landed hard. He turned back watching as Ed got closer. "Have you lost your mind? Or do you just not care..."

"Shut up! I tired of listening to you like you give a damn about Al's life! You'd throw it away like it was nothing and if you think I'm going to let you do that, you're wrong!" Vladimir struggled to keep distance between them. "So no more negotiating, no more manipulating us. If I have to give up something else to bring his soul back again, I'll do what I have to. But if you think for a second I'm gonna let you get away with this, you have another thing coming." Just as he reached forward, Vlad pulled out a gun from behind his back and started firing it off. Ed quickly brought his right arm up, just in time to block the shots.

Down below, Roy was struggling to get loose. He'd managed to get his arms in front of him and was now pulling at the ropes with his teeth. There was a click from above indicating that the gun was empty. Finally Vlad tossed the weapon at Ed as well and it clattered on the floor. "Finished?" Edward clapped his hands together and a blade appeared from his automail.

"Fullmetal, stop it!" Mustang was completely disregarded as Ed brought his arm back. Vladimir backed up even more before scrambling to his feet and heading further down the balcony. Edward clapped his hands again, dissolving the upper level and sending the Drachma spy to the ground below. Luckily he landed in some boxes. Ed jumped down determined to end this situation, whatever that meant. Vlad tried to move but he'd badly twisted his ankle. "Ed what do you think you're gonna do? You can't kill him!" The Colonel finally got him to turn back.

"And why not? He's never gonna stop!" Roy got himself free and moved towards Ed and Vlad.

"Is this what you want?" Vlad tossed the piece of metal across the floor. That move just seem to make the teen even angrier. Vladimir was now shaking and glanced around for an exit or anything that would help him. His eyes fell on the staff Ed transmuted earlier. He grabbed it and brought the sharp end up to defend himself. A maniacal grin crossed Ed's face.

"You think that's gonna stop me?" Just as he was about to cut the staff in half with his blade a pair of strong arms came from behind and pulled him back. "What the hell are you doing?" He glanced back to see Mustang. The older alchemist was holding him under his arms and actually lifted him off the ground.

"You don't want to do this, trust me." Ed started to struggle and kick back angrily.

"Bastard, let me go!"

"Ed, just calm down and go fix Al. Let me take care of him."

"But he deserves this. Didn't you see what he did? If we don't stop him for good, he'll just do it again." Edward no longer sounded angry but more desperate now. He didn't try to kick so much and Roy loosened his grip.

"I know you would never forgive yourself for taking a life and I know Al wouldn't want that either." Mustang's tone was soft and finally it seemed his subordinate was able to think clearer. His arms dropped to his side.

Vladimir decided to use this moment to his advantage. He noticed his man was starting to come around which meant he had a chance to escape. Just as Roy was about to set Edward down on his feet, there was a sudden jerk on his right side. Ed released a gasp as he went limp in the Colonel's arms. "Ed? Hey what happened?" Leaning forward, he noticed the end of the spear piercing through Ed's clothing. Vlad was still leaning forward with a smirk plastered on his face. Roy was about to respond when a large fist hit him from above, knocking him to the floor.


	17. Chapter 17

Crazy

Chapter seventeen-Helpful Intruders

The spear was yanked out hard, causing Ed to collapse in a heap. It was becoming more and more difficult to keep his eyes open as Vlad got back up. He stared down at the older Elric who was trying to grab at his metal shoulder. Being flat on your back with an enemy standing over you was not the best place to be. The Drachma spy's foot came down right below Ed's collar bone where his automail was connected. The blond cringed but refused to yell out as blood began to seep through his jacket and pool on the floor.

"Mmm, didn't go deep enough. What a shame." He stomped harder, causing the blood to splatter Ed's face and hair. "I think you won't be of any use to us anymore." Vlad raised the weapon in his hands over his head.

"Uh boss, shouldn't we get out of here?" His body guard inquired, worried that Mustang might come to or that maybe they had back up coming in.

"I'm gonna enjoy this first and don't worry Fullmetal, I'll be sure you don't bleed to death before watching me destroy that blood seal."

"Bastard..." He couldn't manage to complete his threat but still glared up at the man standing over him. As much as he tried to block himself with his blade, he knew it wouldn't be enough. Just as the spear came down, something hit it hard, knocking the staff out of the man's grip.

"What!" The foreigner glanced up to see a dark women standing in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest. Behind her, stood a large fat man with the look of hunger constantly in his eyes.

"That's enough of that." Her tone was calm and yet seductive. "He's too important to us after all."

"Who are you people?" Vlad narrowed his gaze, trying to get a better look at the two intruders. They didn't seem to be part of the military. Ed turned his head, trying to focus on who he was talking to but couldn't make them out. He had finally reached his limit, physically, mentally and emotionally. He just couldn't go any further as he closed his eyes.

_'Al, I'm sorry but I failed.'_

Vladimir went to pick the staff up again only for his hand to be striked this time. Angrily he turned back to the women. What was she using that he couldn't see.

"As I said foreigner, that's enough." Her tone became deadly as she brought her hand up and extended her nails. It was nothing the Drachma spy had ever seen.

"Lust, can I eat the big one," her partner inquired as he placed a finger in his mouth. "He looks yummy."

"Boss, we need to get out of here. These people aren't normal." With that, the body guard took off running out the back of the warehouse.

"It's fine as long as you don't mind chasing your food, Gluttony." The large monster grinned happily and followed suit. Lust walked off in the opposite direction of Vlad, the whole time well aware he was watching her. Kneeling down, she picked up the jagged piece of metal that had been discarded earlier. Carefully she dusted it off before walking over and placing it in Ed's hand.

"What do you think you're doing? Bitch?" Claws quickly scratched the side of his face, causing him to stumble back. Straightening up, she glared at him.

"You're still here? Most people run right about now. Of course if you want me to kill you here, that's fine with me." Vlad was cupping his face as more and more blood gushed from his wounds.

"Wait a second, we can help each other."

"And why would I care about your pathetic little political struggle? This country has already been taken, you're too late." Realizing there was nothing else to do, he scrambled for the exit only to feel her razor ends pierce through him.

oOoOo

The Flame Alchemist awoke to his head throbbing once more. He was surprised this whole ordeal hadn't left him with a concussion. Rubbing the back of his head, he forced himself to sit up despite the nausea that accompanied the movement.

"Well I'm not dead or tied up. I guess that's a good thing." He noticed Vlad and his man were gone. He also noted the large puddle of dry blood on the ground near the back exit. "Wonder what happened? Wait, where's Ed?" He didn't have to look far as Edward was still lying behind him. The Colonel reached over, carefully nudging him in the arm. "Hey kid, wake up." Tired amber eyes slowly opened and he let out a groan. Mustang found himself breathing a little easier knowing he was okay.

"What happened?" He didn't bother to sit up, taking a second to get a couple of deep breaths in. It was hard to think straight and he was having a hard time remembering how things ended.

"Wish I could tell you but I don't know either."

"And what about Al?" The sudden fear from before caused his eyes to water and he tried to sit up only for his right shoulder to shutter from the effort. As he closed his metal fingers he noticed there was something in his hand. The blood seal was still intake although it seemed a little beaten up. It was enough to bring him a small glimmer of hope as he moved to stand up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mustang went to stand as well but had to take a second to steady himself as dizziness hit him like a wave.

"I just want Al back. I can rest later." Slowly he made it over to the armor still lying on the ground. Just the sight of it brought back a level of fear. What if it was too late? What if the blood seal had taken too much damage? He had to push past such thoughts. This had to work and he knew he could pull it off as long as he didn't get distracted. The Colonel helped him turn the armor over and get the chest plate off.

Ed placed the missing piece of metal back in place before clapping his hands together. Holding his breath he pressed his palms to the armor as blue electricity flowed from his fingers. The armor merged with the missing part, reattaching the soul's anchor. The alchemy died down and Edward sat back, breathing hard. His patience wavered as there was no change.

_'Come on, Al. Don't do this.'_ Ed's mind reeled, trying to think about what could have gone wrong. If it didn't work, he wasn't sure what he'd do.


	18. Chapter 18

Crazy

Chapter eighteen-Awaken

He wasn't sure how long he'd been there. Other then the bland surroundings, a large door stood before him. He wasn't sure if he was suppose to try and open the door or just stay put. This place felt familiar but he couldn't figure out why.

"Come on Al, don't do this." He swore he could hear his brother's voice. Alphonse glanced around wondering where Ed was. Suddenly he remembered what had happened and turned back to the door. It seemed to be the only exit available.

"I can't leave Ed alone. I've gotta get back," he told himself as he pushed against the door. It wouldn't budge as he pounded his fists even harder.

"I don't know what to do." It was his brother's voice again. He sounded so upset and Al slammed his shoulder into the door even harder.

"Please, you have to let me out! I can't stay here!" Just as he began to loose hope, the door began to open. Alphonse vocally sighed in relief but his joy was cut short when he was greeted by a large eye staring back at him. The intimidating armor took an awkward step back before several small hands grabbed hold of him and dragged him towards the opening. With nothing to hold onto, he reluctantly let himself be taken, now unsure of what was on the other side.

oOoOo

Edward remained on the floor, hunched over the armor. His shoulders were slouched forward and he kept his hands on the metal as he tried to think. Mustang didn't know what to do to help the situation. Attaching souls was already a tricky business that was far from his own capabilities. Finally after the silence had long claimed dominance, Edward ran his hand across his forehead and moved his hair out of his face.

"I don't know what to do." He sounded desperate and on the verge of tears. This was what he'd worry about happening the moment he saw that the blood seal was removed from the back of the armor. As much as he searched his mind for the answer he just couldn't come up with anything. Mental instability had taken it's toll and this was just too far from his grasp.

_'And without Al...what else is there? The whole point of moving forward was to do it together.'_

"Edward..." He felt Mustang's hand on his shoulder as though the older alchemist knew where his thoughts were headed. Closing his eyes, Ed clenched his fists tightly.

"I should have known the minute we were ambushed. I should have done something then," his voice wavered and it was clear he would just blame himself for this.

"You couldn't have known. There was no way to." Ed finally turned back, no longer able to look at the armor anymore.

"I don't know what to do anymore. There's nothing now." Mustang stood and offered to help Ed up.

"Come on, we can't stay here. We'll get a clean up crew out here and bring Al back to Central. I know you'll figure it out." Although he sounded confident deep down even the Colonel was afraid of the outcome but he knew Edward would just sit here, loathing himself to a point of destruction. Reluctantly, Ed finally managed to stand up even if he was still slouching forward. Somehow willing to move one foot in front of the other, they both headed for the exit. Roy grabbed the files off the ground on the way. Just as they reached the doors, something small hit Edward in the back of his head.

"Ouch!" He rubbed the sore spot and glanced down to see a small rock roll to a stop on the ground. There was the faint yet very familiar sound of metal brushing against metal as it moved independently. Ed's throat went dry as he turned around.

"Brother! You were really gonna just leave me here? You jerk!" The armor was standing now, crimson glowing from the helmet.

"Al? Y..you're okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" Alphonse spoke as though he couldn't understand why Edward was so relieved to see him. The older brother tried to walk back over, to hug the armor even if he couldn't feel it, but for some reason he collapsed to his knees, his vision becoming blurred. "Brother? Are you alright?" Al hurried over, seeing how distraught Ed had become. He knelt down in front of him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Ed, what's wrong?"Ed managed an ironic grin and brought his face up. The fact that he was hurt seemed to be the last thing on his mind.

"Don't worry about it,...I'll be fine. Come on, let's head back to Central." He desperately wiped at his eyes as there was no containing the tears or emotions that took over.

"What am I gonna do with you?" The armored boy lifted Ed back to his feet and helped him to the car.

oOoOo

"So all that happened? I didn't realize I'd missed so much." Roy glanced back in the rear view mirror at the armor talking to him. It was difficult to keep eye contact with the younger Elric as he took up so much of the back seat. A constant breeze passed through the car from the open windows in order to keep it from getting too hot. It caused Al's helmet to tap gently against his metal shoulders. "What happened to the spies?"

"Actually Ed and I don't really know. Of course it's just a theory but it seems there was someone else involved. However if I try to do a full investigation, it'll bring more to light then we want. So for now we need to just drop it. All we know is that everything turned out okay, somehow." Al nodded in agreement.

"While I'd really like to thank whoever helped, somehow I think they did it for their own benefit. But I suppose you're right about not digging around any further. I'm sure we'll run into whoever they were again." The Colonel rubbed the side of his head and groaned in response.

"Why is it that whenever I get involved in one of your problems, I can almost always guarantee I'll end up getting hurt?" Alphonse laughed at Mustang's tone as it was clear he at least had a sense of humor about it.

"Sorry, it seems to be an occupational hazard with us." The armor's head tilted downward as he glanced at his lap. As always, his older brother had fallen asleep as he did in any moving vehicle. But for some reason, this time it seemed as if he hadn't slept this deep in a long time. It didn't matter that the armor his head rested on wasn't the softest pillow or that the back seat was very cramped with the two of them occupying it. Alphonse carefully brushed the blond strains from his older brother's face before cleaning off some of the blood as well. The touch caused him to curl up even more into the huge armored frame. Alphonse could only imagine what this whole thing had done to him. Sure he acted tough but Al knew how much he worried. If it had been the other way around, he was sure he would have lost his mind trying to rescue Ed. And even if he didn't question his brother's ability to do anything he put his mind to, he knew he had help from Mustang.

"Colonel?" Roy glanced in the mirror, dark hair blowing against his eye sight.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Al didn't bring his gaze away from Ed. "For not arresting him." Mustang couldn't help but smirk at the notion.

"Please Al, what good would that have done me? Despite how we treat each other, I actually have some respect for him. But don't you dare tell him that."

"It's okay, your secrets safe with me. And thanks for helping. I know it probably meant a lot to him, even if he never said anything. I know how much of a handful he can be when I'm not there."

"Now that's not very nice to say about him, but I know what you mean." Al nodded back quietly. He was just happy they had made it through this and could keep searching together for a way to restore their bodies. But for now, it was just nice to rest.

~End~

A/N-I am sad it's over. This was such a fun fic to write and the reviews were amazing. This was the first fic that my husband helped me on and I gotta say he knows how to throw in some great twists. Also anything you didn't like about it, was him, all him. Haha. Please let me know what you thought about the ending and thank you everyone who reviewed. It kept the fire alive on this one. And if you liked this one you might also enjoy Lost and Broken and Exam lab 32. Both are OVA form like this one and have the same broken timeline style.


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